Declan Rice on the rise after a promising performance for Republic of Ireland

Dual purpose: West Ham’s Declan Rice impressed in both defence and midfield during Ireland’s defeat in Turkey on FridayRYAN BYRNE

So brittle is Irish football at the moment that one of the few positive factors seized upon from Friday night’s defeat against Turkey in Antalya was that Declan Rice’s father, Sean, was in the stadium when his 19-year-old son took a step closer to firming up his commitment to the boys in green, even though the England manager Gareth Southgate has been monitoring his progress.

Close parental proximity shouldn’t be taken as a seal of approval, especially when one remembers how father Kevin was never far from Jack Grealish’s shoulder when it came to Ireland and that was as much to keep a wary eye on what was going on as anything else. However, both Grealish’s time with Ireland and that of the latest English-born…

Want to read more?

Subscribe now and get unlimited digital access on web and our smartphone and tablet apps, free for your first month.